Len Taylor

May 14, 2008 Child Care Spaces

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased and privileged today to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly, a petition that recognizes that many Saskatchewan families struggle or are unable to find child care for their children. Mr. Speaker, the petition calls upon the Legislative Assembly: . . . to cause the government to add at least 2,000 new child care spaces in Saskatchewan by 2011. Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by residents of The Battlefords and by residents of the city of Saskatoon. Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! May 13, 2008 Seniors Drug Plan The Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have the privilege today to present a petition on behalf of residents of The Battlefords. The petition deals with the means testing of the seniors’ drug plan. Mr. Speaker, the petitioners acknowledge that earlier there was a seniors’ drug plan which capped the costs of prescription drugs for all seniors at $15 per prescription. They therefore: Call upon the Legislative Assembly to cause the government to reverse its decision to means test seniors and ensure that all seniors continue to have access to affordable prescription drugs. I so present, Mr. Speaker. Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! May 7, 2008 Education Property TaxThe Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I?m pleased today to rise to present a petition signed by residents of The Battlefords. Mr. Speaker, the petition calls for the immediate reduction of the education portion of property taxes for Saskatchewan families. Mr. Speaker, the prayer reads: Call on the Legislative Assembly to be pleased to cause the government to immediately implement its promise to reduce the education portion of property taxes for Saskatchewan families by doubling the property tax rebate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! May 5, 2008 Lowest cost bundle for UtilitiesThe Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition signed by residents of The Battlefords and the city of Saskatoon. Mr. Speaker, the petitioners call upon the Assembly to: . . . cause the provincial government to commit to the continuance of maintaining the lowest-cost utility bundle in Canada for citizens of Saskatchewan. I so present. Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! April 30, 2008 School ClosuresThe Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased today to present a petition in support of a plan to address school closures. Mr. Speaker, the petitioners, all of whom come from the constituency of The Battlefords, call upon: . . . the Hon. Legislative Assembly to cause the government to develop, announce, and implement a plan to address school closures. Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! April 21, 2008 Education Property TaxThe Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords.Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It?s my privilege to table a petition today, a petition in support of property tax relief for renters. The petitioners acknowledge that during the election campaign there were two specific promises with regards to property tax relief.The petitioners humbly pray and call upon the Legislative Assembly to be pleased to cause the government to immediately implement the NDP?s plan to provide property tax relief to homeowners and renters.Mr. Speaker, these petitioners are all from The Battlefords.Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear! April 10, 2008 Withdraw Bills 5 & 6The Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It?s my pleasure today to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan on behalf of Saskatchewan residents. Mr. Speaker, the petition deals with the government?s Bills for The Public Service Essential Services Act and Bill 6, the Act to amend The Trade Union Act. The prayer reads as follows: That we respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan urge the new government to withdraw Bills 5 and 6 and hold broad public consultations about labour relations in the province. Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by residents of The Battlefords. I so present. March 11, 2008 EqualizationThe Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to present a petition. The prayer reads as follows, Mr. Speaker: Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that your Hon. Assembly may be pleased to cause the provincial government to honour their commitment to obtaining a fair equalization deal for Saskatchewan to retain the earnings of our non-renewable resources similar to the deal of other provinces such as New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray. Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by the residents of North Battleford and Saskatoon.

Hansard - May 14, 2008

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from The Battlefords.

The Battlefords Business Excellence Awards

Mr. Taylor: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the legislature today to acknowledge and congratulate the winners of this year’s Battlefords Business Excellence Awards that took place on May 6. It was an incredible evening, Mr. Speaker, as Anderson Pump House of North Battleford, specializing in water-related products and equipment, was named The Battlefords Business of the Year and at the same time was also named the winner of the consumer services award. Anderson Pump House owner, Howard Kirby, praised The Battlefords as a great place to live and do business, adding that he wouldn’t trade this location for anyplace else in Canada.

Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear!

May 23, 2008

After just six months in office Saskatchewan’s new provincial government under Premier Brad Wall has made it very clear that they would rather govern in favour of their friends and the large corporate sector than for the average people of the province.

During the election campaign of November, 2007 the people of Saskatchewan were asked to support a government that could best manage the growing wealth and prosperity that was finally coming to this province. Expectations were high as were provincial revenues from natural resources.

In just a short time it is obvious that the Saskatchewan Party will not meet those expectations, and it is no wonder that The Saskatoon Star Phoenix felt compelled to write: “Rather than appear to be competent managers of the public purse, Premier Brad Wall’s team has been extravagant in its spending, ham-handed in its communications strategy and incompetent in its delivery”.

No incoming government in the history of this province ever inherited as large a public purse as this one did. $1.3 billion in the bank last November, and with new deposits being made every day the province’s bank account will exceed $2 billion by the end of the summer months.

As the province’s public wealth grows, no one should expect to be left behind, yet property taxes continue to grow, fuel prices increase, rents and utility rates are growing, housing has become unaffordable, food prices are rising, and farmers in the drought stricken southwest are no better off today than they were two years ago. It begs the question, who is benefiting from the increased prosperity of the province?

Well, we know that long-time, non-partisan, deputy ministers were fired (their severance packages, at taxpayers expense, will shock many Saskatchewan residents) and they were replaced with SaskParty friends. They were immediately given raises of $30,000 to $60,000. The heads of the Workers Compensation Board and the Labour Relations Board were fired (with severance packages as well) and replaced with SaskParty friends. The new head of the LRB now makes $60,000 a year more than last year’s head made.

One of Brad Wall’s long time friends, Iain Harry was named a “special advisor to the Premier” (a position that never existed before) and for this job as “special pal to the premier”, Harry makes $12,500 every month.

While all this was going on, the Premier and the Finance Minister (Rod Gantefoer) were saying that the province’s finances were “stark” and they set about cutting programs such as the Station 20 West project in Saskatoon (that was designed to bring health care into the inner city for the poor and vulnerable), as the dental care program for school age children, as the vulnerable worker benefit (a health benefit plan for part-time, casual, and minimum wage workers), as the Overnight Shelter program (that was designed to help the indigent without resorting to hospital emergency rooms for care and a warm bed).

We also saw this new government shut down the court house in Humboldt, and close a profitable liquor store in Moose Jaw. And they began to tell the new heads of the Crown Corporations that they couldn’t make “business” decisions anymore because they would have to do whatever the new Minister told them to do instead.

If you are a senior, a student, an immigrant, a new worker, a First Nation or Metis person, a parent of a disabled child, a rural or remote learner relying on the internet for education, you are not only failing to benefit from the prosperity of the province, but also you have seen cutbacks in the programs you relied on to add quality to your life. This is not what anyone expected when they asked a new government to manage the province’s new found wealth and prosperity.

Instead we see the new government running off to Alberta to raise even more money, especially from the oil and gas sector and promising to never in 12 or 16 years review the royalty structure which assures Saskatchewan residents will have a fair and balanced share of our non-renewable resource revenue. And we have a government that although they promised to fight Ottawa to keep a larger percentage of our non-renewable resource revenue in Saskatchewan, have now backed off entirely, and are letting the federal Conservative Party get away with breaking their promise to Saskatchewan people about this program which would have increased Saskatchewan’s revenues by $800 million a year.

During the session, the NDP opposition members characterized the new SaskParty government as “mean-spirited”, and incompetent. They forced one new Cabinet Minister, the Hon Bob Bjornerud, (Agriculture Minister) to admit “In Opposition, as you know, I could say just about anything I wanted; and I did on a lot of occasions for 12 years … When you are a Minister you’re responsible and you have to do it right.” (no wonder people’s expectations were high), and they succeeded in getting the government’s first budget changed to include additional money for municipalities which helped in reducing somewhat the increases that were proposed in property tax.

The first six months of a SaskParty government have not been good ones for Saskatchewan people. With three and a half years until the next election there is room for even more failure if Premier Wall and his cabinet continue to think their friends and financial backers are the ones they are working for.

Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Wall of Fame Inductees in The Battlefords Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On Saturday, May 3, I had the pleasure of once again attending the induction ceremonies for the Frontier Mall Wall of Fame in North Battleford. Three outstanding citizens of northwest Saskatchewan were added to the Wall of Fame. These three are: Marjorie Tatchell, who lent her musical talents tirelessly to the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band, St Paul?s Anglican Church, and The Battlefords music festival, for her significant contributions to music and the community; Phoebe Cutbush, for her contributions to music and education within the community; and John Henry Fineday, a young man who recently passed away after a battle with leukemia, for his contributions to The Battlefords and the province through his multidisciplinary artwork. The Wall of Fame was established in February 2000 as a vehicle to engage the community in honouring its citizens. It provides recognition of residents who have made significant contributions to The Battlefords and area in the fields of art, business, community service, education, entertainment, government, philanthropy, and sports. I ask the Assembly, Mr. Speaker, to join me in congratulating the 2008 inductees for their lifetime of contributions and to the organizers, especially Linda Lewis, the event master of ceremonies, and Tamara Sonmor, marketing director of the Frontier Mall, for making the event itself such a success.

Some Hon. Members: — Hear, hear!